Needles are frequently used with a needle driver in many different surgical procedures, such as to close vascular tissues, during an aortotomy, and during heart valve surgery. These needles typically have a size and shape that is customized for each particular procedure. Such customized needles can be very expensive. During procedures, a surgeon often uses several different types of needles and sutures for different aspects of the procedure. The needles are typically used with one or more small reinforcing pledgets for each suture. The pledgets provide more resistance to the sutures and protect against the sutures cutting the tissue. However, during surgery, a suture occasionally breaks or pulls out of the needle, and as a consequence a pledget for that suture can come loose and can get lost inside the patient. During a cardiac valve replacement, for example, a surgeon may place 12-18 sutures within the native valve annulus, with each suture having a respective needle and its own respective pledget. The surgeon then drives each needle and respective suture through and anchorage part of the implant. Since each of the sutures is applied using a different needle, the cost of placing 12-18 sutures includes 12-18 times the cost of one needle.